Daily Telegraph Article on BA: Was flying in 1989 better than today?
Oct 1, 2014, 2:13 pm
#16
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, LH Sen, MUCCI, Junior Jet Club.
Posts: 8,101
My father recalls doing a JFK-LHR in the early 1990s on PA (this would be post GW1), in F you had to queue for the breakfast "Buffet" which was set up in the galley. I think they were aiming for a hotel-style service. Ha!
Oct 1, 2014, 2:28 pm
#17
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Programs: BA Gold. Iberia Plus Blue, Miles and More Blue, Gulf Blue, Tesco Clubcard, Elite PAL Mabuhay
Posts: 421
1989/1990 I can remember doing a lot of LHR-LIS and LHR-BAH on BA, TP and GF and can think of the following
Pros
CE service on BA was significantly better than today, but then more expensive. Flights however were less frequent even to European destinations
Super Shuttle to Scotland had a full three course meal tray at all times of day, impressive seeing that being done to 180 pax on a 60 minute sector to GLA
TP used to use L-1011s on LIS-LHR with big 2-2-2 seating up the front
Air travel generally more civilised - as kids we had to dress smartly because we were in Club
Paper tickets and timetables if you like that sort of thing
Food was arguably better, a more ornate service as it helped pass the time. Today people want to sleep or watch IFE, so food is of lesser importance
GF Tristars had an underfloor galley so lifts up and down which were a laugh
CX had a BAH-LGW service (from HKG) during the day which a banker friend used to rave about in F, very high quality service
Cons
BA longhaul fleet consisted of 747-100s/200s and Tristar and generally felt quite knackered, the 767 didn't arrive for Gulf routes until 1992 and was a vast improvement with PTVs. 777 still on drawing board
Most BA flights to the Gulf continued on to Asia with odd flight times, the occasional terminating service with a Tristar
No flat beds, not even in F. Flat 'sleeperette' seats for F came in during 1992. Club had 40" pitch
No real lounges to speak of - certainly nothing like the global network of today
Terminal 4 never designed for longhaul aircraft from the outset, transfer T1-T4 a pain
Obviously no OLCI, paper BPs, mobile BPs etc which have made my life so much easier
Heathrow had an interesting layout
T1 - BA Domestic & European ex PAR, AMS, ATH and I *think* EI
T2 - European national carriers
T3 - International carriers but no AA or UA - just PA and TW. No VS or CX either
T4 - BA "Intercontinental" and PAR, AMS, ATH
Pros
CE service on BA was significantly better than today, but then more expensive. Flights however were less frequent even to European destinations
Super Shuttle to Scotland had a full three course meal tray at all times of day, impressive seeing that being done to 180 pax on a 60 minute sector to GLA
TP used to use L-1011s on LIS-LHR with big 2-2-2 seating up the front
Air travel generally more civilised - as kids we had to dress smartly because we were in Club
Paper tickets and timetables if you like that sort of thing
Food was arguably better, a more ornate service as it helped pass the time. Today people want to sleep or watch IFE, so food is of lesser importance
GF Tristars had an underfloor galley so lifts up and down which were a laugh
CX had a BAH-LGW service (from HKG) during the day which a banker friend used to rave about in F, very high quality service
Cons
BA longhaul fleet consisted of 747-100s/200s and Tristar and generally felt quite knackered, the 767 didn't arrive for Gulf routes until 1992 and was a vast improvement with PTVs. 777 still on drawing board
Most BA flights to the Gulf continued on to Asia with odd flight times, the occasional terminating service with a Tristar
No flat beds, not even in F. Flat 'sleeperette' seats for F came in during 1992. Club had 40" pitch
No real lounges to speak of - certainly nothing like the global network of today
Terminal 4 never designed for longhaul aircraft from the outset, transfer T1-T4 a pain
Obviously no OLCI, paper BPs, mobile BPs etc which have made my life so much easier
Heathrow had an interesting layout
T1 - BA Domestic & European ex PAR, AMS, ATH and I *think* EI
T2 - European national carriers
T3 - International carriers but no AA or UA - just PA and TW. No VS or CX either
T4 - BA "Intercontinental" and PAR, AMS, ATH
Oct 1, 2014, 2:31 pm
#18
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Brighton, England
Programs: BA Silver, VS, Costa Coffee, My Waitrose
Posts: 153
In November 1989 I was sent as a young dumb grad, to Hong Kong for the 1st time on a 747 200 from Gatwick via Dubai, in Club World. I thought everything was amazing, and faultless, and enjoyed every minute . Looking back now, the cradle seat was uncomfortable, the glaring screen at the front all night, and most of crew were old enough to be my mother. Flat beds changed the whole experience for the better in reality, of course today I think many of the crew are just Kidz.
Oct 1, 2014, 2:47 pm
#21
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: London
Programs: BAEC, AA, Emirates, Hilton, Hyatt, Taj Hotels
Posts: 2,345
Yes seems like a different world now.
The big difference, IMHO is that 1989ish began an era when BA actually started to lead the way in terms of on board experience for passengers. It wasn't all that many years later that 'suites' arrived in F and J got flat beds and in many respects BA became a lworld eader in the premium classes.
Compare and contrast with today where BA now lags behind in practically all areas and the management seems to think that sly cost cutting is the way forward. I think that BA have more or less jacked it in as far as trying to compete with the best in F and J which would have been unthinkable in Lord King's day.
Other big changes, based around the relative costs, is that in 1989 flying long haul was still a big treat for most people, especially so in F and J. So a lot of what we take for granted today with respect to the 'bells and whistles' simply didn't exist and concepts of mileage running or TP runs would of been simply unaffordable.
In simple terms, today's hard product is streets ahead and more accessible to us all. If only we could still have the excellent service that was on offer then too.
The big difference, IMHO is that 1989ish began an era when BA actually started to lead the way in terms of on board experience for passengers. It wasn't all that many years later that 'suites' arrived in F and J got flat beds and in many respects BA became a lworld eader in the premium classes.
Compare and contrast with today where BA now lags behind in practically all areas and the management seems to think that sly cost cutting is the way forward. I think that BA have more or less jacked it in as far as trying to compete with the best in F and J which would have been unthinkable in Lord King's day.
Other big changes, based around the relative costs, is that in 1989 flying long haul was still a big treat for most people, especially so in F and J. So a lot of what we take for granted today with respect to the 'bells and whistles' simply didn't exist and concepts of mileage running or TP runs would of been simply unaffordable.
In simple terms, today's hard product is streets ahead and more accessible to us all. If only we could still have the excellent service that was on offer then too.
Oct 1, 2014, 2:49 pm
#22
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, LH Sen, MUCCI, Junior Jet Club.
Posts: 8,101
This is F in 1992. I remember because they introduced the "First Class Sleeper Service" and a signature item was a cup of hot chocolate and cookies which you could have whilst you snuggled up under the duvet.
Of course, this being BA it was a complete clock up as the new duvets were far too thick, making passengers too hot, so they turned the temp down, which meant all of J (shivering under blankets) complained etc. etc.
Notice also the IFE controller for the video cassette player.
Of course, this being BA it was a complete clock up as the new duvets were far too thick, making passengers too hot, so they turned the temp down, which meant all of J (shivering under blankets) complained etc. etc.
Notice also the IFE controller for the video cassette player.
Oct 1, 2014, 7:10 pm
#26
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Join Date: Mar 2006
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Oct 1, 2014, 7:46 pm
#27
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Denver, CO
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Posts: 21,551
For grad school, we've been assigned a Harvard Business School case study from 1994 titled British Airways: Using Information Systems to Better Serve the Customer. Based on the article I have two questions...
1. Does BA still use the CARESS (Customer Analysis and Retention System) system? Has it been retired and replaced with something else?
2. The article states that all 767/777 deliveries after 1996(?) allowed for passengers to use their PTV to type out their complaints in-flight. Did that ever happen?
Thanks in advance.
1. Does BA still use the CARESS (Customer Analysis and Retention System) system? Has it been retired and replaced with something else?
2. The article states that all 767/777 deliveries after 1996(?) allowed for passengers to use their PTV to type out their complaints in-flight. Did that ever happen?
Thanks in advance.
Oct 1, 2014, 8:26 pm
#28
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Programs: BA
Posts: 36
I think going back to having smoking rows would be the hardest adjustment to make if I went back now.
However, watching a film on a distant projector screen through the haze in economy did have a sort of aesthetic value.
However, watching a film on a distant projector screen through the haze in economy did have a sort of aesthetic value.
Oct 1, 2014, 9:14 pm
#29
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: BAEC Gold, M&M Sen, Delta Skymiles Gold
Posts: 866
Food was better 25 years ago than today. I remember printed menues in Y, both long haul and short haul. American legacies like UA, TW, PA and AA were market leaders. I remember my first flight with Trans World from JFK to LAX in a L1011, I thought it was great and exotic compared to what I was used to. As a kid I got a basket full of candy and other goodies. And the seats were very wide and I don't remember any leg room issues. The flight attendants actually smiled and were nice. They were extremely service minded compared to the average flight attendant of today. I also remember they made announcemets in three languages 
Flying felt like an adventure back then.
Flying felt like an adventure back then.
Oct 1, 2014, 11:56 pm
#30
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Increasingly rarely on a plane
Programs: Losing status by the day
Posts: 611
In 1999 I went on a tour to Marshalls Aerospace and they were fitting seats with PTVs to a jumbo when I was there.
[entirely possible I'm misremembering some of this though...]